Buyō

Buyō(舞踊) or Nippon buyō/Nihon buyō(日本舞踊) is a traditional Japanese performing art, a mixture of dance and pantomime, which emerged in the early Edo period (early 17th century) from earlier traditions. While performed independently by specialists, it is particularly conspicuous as the style of dancing performed by geisha.

Influences

Nihon buyō differs from other Japanese traditional dances in that it is intended for entertainment on stage. Nihon buyō is a refined dance that has been improved throughout four centuries. There are four influences on Nihon buyō, the most significant being kabuki buyō. Nihon buyō was created directly from kabuki buyō before it became theater. The second influence on Nihon buyō is noh. Nihon buyō takes a few key elements from noh such as the circular movements and the tools used in its dances. The third influence on these dances comes from folk dances; the spinning and jumping used in folk dances was incorporated into Nihon buyō. The last influence comes from the mixture of European and American culture that is found in Japan today.

Buy, Kostroma Oblast

History

Buy was originally a trading post and protected by a hill fortress of Finno-Ugrian Meri people c.400–500CE. Its original Meri name is not known, but in Finnish language it was called either Vuoksensuu or Vieksansuu (lit. Mouth of Vuoksi/Vieksa). It was inhabited by the Finno-Ugrian peoples at least up to the Mongol invasion of Russia in 1237–1238. During the Mongol threat, some inhabitants of Kostroma sought refuge in Buy, and it seems that they renamed the place Buy (Vui, Bui) instead of using the Finno-Ugrian name which was difficult for them to pronounce, but the origin of the Russian name comes from the old Meri name.